Best first episode of a TMNT cartoon?
 

This is actually really hard for me, because the first episode of the original cartoon was an absolute classic, but the first episode of the 4kids cartoon was also very good. Also the Nick show had a really strong and funny opener.

What did you like most?

Hmm, I guess I'd go with "Rise of the Turtles".

Things Change is the weakest out of the bunch, as all it involves is fighting some Purple Dragons and Foot Soldiers with a retreat from their original lair, even though the Eastman & Laird cameo is present. That series isn't really established until you reach The Shredder Strikes nearly half a season in. April also doesn't appear until the second episode.

Since this only involves one episode and not two, Rise of the Turtles, Part 1 is next. The Turtles' origin story is presented, we get a few glimpses of April, a Kraang alien, a good introduction by Splinter, and most importantly, has the Turtles actually acting like Teenagers and giving you the feeling that this is their first time going topside. It also brings the earliest appearance of Kraang/Krang/Utroms.

Of course, Turtle Tracks will be hard to top. Good animation for its time despite some technical mistakes can't defer squeezing in the Turtles/Splinter origin stories, rescuing April, as well as fighting the Foot for the first (and best) time. April does a good job about the dangers of being topside, and the Turtles' disguise outfits were a cool feature. It's also the funniest of the three and has the best background music. And it is the only one that includes Shredder on the first episode.

As much as I liked the "Rise of the Turtles" part 1 and the 1st season of the 4Kids show, "Turtle Tracks" was a classic and it probably what most people remember when thinking about the TMNT. I can't say either "Things Change" or "Rise of the Turtles" part 1 qualify for "classic" status.

Not voting yet as I've not seen Rise of the Turtles (never thought I'd ever say this but Monday can't come soon enough!!). But out of Turtle Tracks and Things Change I'd have to go with Things Change.

Turtle Tracks is a classic, but the opening of Things Change, straight from Vol. 1 #1 is just perfect. It might not have covered as much ground as Turtle Tracks, but it did a great job of setting the tone for the series that followed. I liked that 2K3 didn't feel the need to rush and introduce everyone in the first few episodes. The way they built to Shredder and only used him a few times in that first season really added to his threat. If they beat him every week from the first show he wouldn't have been anywhere near as impressive as a villain.

I personally liked turtle tracks the most for the same reasons as above. I also thought it was cool showing Shredder's face near the end when he realized who the turtles were.

Today's episode was cool with nice homages towards all of the series. The pizza incident, the origin stories(that was us!), and even having a newer version of channel 6. But I still like the OTs first episode the most. I can't wait to see more of this new series.

I would have to agree with most. Rise of the Turtles was a really good episode. but it's hard to top the classic of Turtle Tracks.

I'm sorry but I think you're all forgetting something: EAST MEETS WEST!
</sarcasm>

Technically, the Shredder does appear in Things Change. He doesn't interact with the Turtles, but he's there.

I haven't watched Rise of the Turtles, so I'm not voting yet.

I liked both Turtle Tracks and Things Change, but my vote would be for the latter. Mainly because I didn't like the origin story and the end of Turtle Tracks.

Oh well... I guess the bananas and sausage pizza gag wasn't enough... :trazz:

Turtle Tracks.

Those early OT TMNT episodes were so, so awesome. I mean the Nickelodeon first episode was pretty good, too - I never liked the 4Kids one, I thought it was kinda boring - but nothing will top Turtle Tracks. SO much craziness - the Shredder? Robots? April? That whole mini-series was nuts!

Not sure....I've only seen part 1 of Rise of the Turtles, Things Change did just that and I'm probably blinded by nostalgia with Turtle tracks. Can I say they were all pretty great for their own reasons? Tracks introduced the cast, and gave us our first tastes of the humor the FW series would be known for. Things Change showed us that the 4Kids series would be a more straight adaptation of the Mirage source material, with more action and more subdued humor. And lastly Rise tries to meld the two, giving us solid action but also some laugh out loud humor. I guess if I had to choose, taking the blinders of nostalgia off, I'd say Rise, if only because it's the "best of both worlds."

Things Change was great. I remember back in 2003 being absolutely blown away by what appeared to be a darker TMNT cartoon along the lines of Batman: TAS and Gargoyles.

Counting part 1 and 2 as a whole, so I'm picking Rise of the Turtles. Things Change was great, and even though I tend to like dark more than comedy, I actually laughed out loud at Rise of the Turtles.

Rise of the Turtles Pt 1 & 2 by far the best. We get to learn so much about the turtles as individuals, with some of the best battle sequences ever to appear on a TMNT show.

All I can say is classic toon FTW!!!

Just finished watching "Rise of the Turtles." It's great.

However, "Turtle Tracks" remains the best 20-minute introduction to a Turtles universe to date. Hilarious, establishes all the characters, gives you great action and animation, etc. "Rise of the Turtles" does that too, but it's less succinct.

Gosh this is hard, it's a tie between Turtle Tracks and Rise of the Turtles for me.:tconfuse:

To be fair the poll should be a year away. We JUST saw Rise of The Turtles adn have that inital pleasure or disgust from opinions that form immedaitely. After enough time passes after Rise of The Turtles and see how it sets up everything and only then can we properly measrue it against Turtle Tracks and Things Change. At this point I like the first episodes in chrological order,but who is to say a year from now after watching Rise of The Turtles three times or so and see how the first season did as a whole it could be between Turtle Tracks and Thing Change. Its just to early to properly judge Rise of The Turtles and compare.

I'm unable to decide on that. Turtle Tracks will always be somehow special for me, as it brings me so many memories. I'm not too fond on the OT nowadays, but still I don't feel like I can judge it properly.

I loved Things Change very much the first time I watched it, and I still do. It was really nice how they tried to give it a "Mirage feeling", although I didn't quite work that way.

And Rise of the Turtles was great, better that I expected, but maybe it's too soon for me to compare it to the other two, wich I've watched so many times through the years.